Toy or amusement device.



J. G. HAMLEY. TOY on AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. '7, 1911.

Patented May 28, 1912.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Y J. G. HAMLEY.

TOY on AMUSEMENT nnvwz.

' APPLICATION FILED MAB. 7, 1911 1,028,068, PatentedMay 28, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANMRAPM 110.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

JOHN GREEN HAMLEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

TOY OB AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GREEN HAMLEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 86 High Holborn, in the countypf London, England, toy merchant, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys or Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed and to the figures and reference-numerals marked thereonthat is to say:

The invention relates to improvements in toys or amusement devices.

The object of the invention is to obtain a novel device adapted to fit upon and hold to the hand of the operator in a manner to leave the fingers free for actuating operative parts of the device, and having lips or mouth members constructed with internal pockets or sockets for the finger and thumb and rendered not only relatively movable, but with inherent flexibility, so that the shape of said members as well as their relative positions may be changed through a wide range; also to provide eyes with operating connections within convenient reach of the other hand, so that they may be moved in various ways; the whole bein designed to permit the development 0 amusing effects.

The device may represent the head of a human being or that of an animal, such for example as an ape, fish, bird or reptile either having an actual or correct form or a gro-v tesque appearance.

For convenience the invention will be described as applid to a toy representing the head of an ape. For this purpose the head or part of it is formed as a kind of bag constructed of felt, cloth or other suitable material or combination of materials and all except the face is covered with hair or the like and the face is formed wholly or partially flexible and is colored to imitate the skin of the animal. The lips or jaws are preferably flexible and those and the inside of the mouth are of a different but appropriate color to the rest of the face, preferably red, and the lips and jaws are formed separable or constructed so as to open and close. The neck, which is fur covered, has an opening to receive the hand of the operator which it more or less incloses and each lip or jaw is composed of or provided with a pocket, the pocket of the lower lip being Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed March 7, 1911.

Patented May 28,1912.

Serial No. 612,771.

small and the operator inserts his thumb I into the small pocket of the lower lip or jaw and his fingers into the larger pocket of the upper lip or jaw and by manipulating or distorting said lips, and the entire face when it is flexible, some grotesque and extraordinary efl'ects may be produced. The eyes are preferably made revoluble and carried by rods which converge and protrude and meet at the back of the head so that the lips may be manipulated by one hand and the eyes by the other.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy, constructed according to the present invention, and b way of example made to represent the head of an ape. Fig. 2 is a similar view partly in section and showing by dotted lines the hand of the operator in position in the bag like lower part of the device, the lips or jaws being shown closed or nearly so. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the lips or jaws open. Fig. 4: is a similar view to Fig. 1 illustrating a means of manipulating the eyes. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line A-A of Fig. 4. and Fig. 6 represents one way in which the operator may manipulate the device.

In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar reference numerals and Fig. 6 is drawn to a reduced scale with respect to the other figures of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, 1 represents the head of the device, appropriate parts of which are covered with hair as shown, and the upper part of the head is or may be filled in so as to be more or less rigid, or it or the face may be wholly flexible.

In the present example the lower part of the head including the neck and the lips or jaws is made flexlble as a kind of bag and the neck is formed with an opening to receive the hand 5 of the operator as shown at Figs. 2 and 3, and is provided with an elastic band 2 to encircle and grip thewrist of the operator and thus assist to retain the device in position; or any other suitable device than an elastic band may be employed for that purpose.

The lips or jaws 3, 4, are each composed of or provided with a pocket, the pocket of the lower lip or jaw 4 being smaller than that of the upper lip or jaw and adapted to receive and fit the thumb of the operator while the pocket 3 of the upper lip or jaw is formed of suitable dimensions to receive all the fingers of the hand as shown at Figs. 2 and 3.

When the device is in use the operator inserts his hand 5 into the bag like lower part of the head 1 with the thumb and fingers arranged in the manner above indicated and the elastic band encircling his wrist and by manipulating the lips or jaws he is able to produce various grotesque or other expressions of the face and cause the lips or jaws to open and shut as if in the act of eating or biting.

In the example given at Figs. 4 to 6 a means of manipulating the eyes is illustrated. In this case the eyes 6 are carried by converging rods 7 revolubly mounted in the head and at the opposite ends made to protrude at the back of the head and meet or nearly meet so that bot-h rods 7 may be manipulated at that point by the thumb and fingers of the hand that is not manipulating the lips or jaws, and said protruding ends may be provided with spherical devices or beads upon the ends thereof. The manipulation of the eyes 6 is effected by rolling the protruding parts 8 of the rods 7 between the fingers and thumb or otherwise.

The method of using this device in this manner is illustrated at Fig. 6 from which itwill be seen that the right hand of the operator is inserted in the bag like device and holds the head so that it looks over the left upper arm while the left arm is bent around so that the left hand is in a position to manipulate the protruding parts 8 of the rods 7 of the eyes 6. In this manner a very realistic and grotesque effect can be obtained which will afford infinite amusement both to children and adults.

In some cases I may elect to attach an appropriate body to the neck of the head 1 while still leaving an opening for the insertion of the hand 5.

Although the invention is hereinbefore illustrated as applied to a device representing the head of an ape it will be obvious that it may be made to represent the head of a human being or animal such as a fish, bird or reptile and may be given in its normal state the natural appearance-thereof or may be given a mythical or grotesque appearance, the device being ofcourse appropriately covered with halr, scales or feathers as the case may be.

duced in position to fill out and give shape to the mouth members, and the mouth of the device may be modified in shape as well as opened and closed.

2. A toy or amusement device constructed in imitation of an animate object and having lip-simulating members flexible as well as relatively movable and provided with internal pockets to receive the thumb and finger of a hand, the surface of each lip bes ing provided by one wall of a pocket whereby the thumb and finger are in position to fill out and give shape to the mouth members, so that the mouth of the device may be modified in appearance as well as opened and closed; said device being constructed to grip upon and hold to the hand in rear and independently of the mouth members.

3. A toy or amusement device constructed in simulation of the head of an animate object and having eyes with rigid rods carrying said eyes, mounted to rotate in and extending through the head and constructed at their rear ends for manipulation in ro tary direction.

at. A toy or amusement device constructed in simulation of the head of an animate obect and havlng eyes wlth rods upon which said eyes are mounted extending through the head and constructed at their rear ends for manipulation in rotary direction, said rods being converged at their rear ends to bring them together for simultaneous rotary manipulation.

JOHN GREEN HAMLEY. Vitnesses:

C. H. WHITE, J. A. HUDSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

